Pilot&#39;s shoulder safety belt take-up reel assembly



Sept. 30, 1941. J. c. BEIRISE PILOTS SHOULDER SAFETY BELT TAKE UP REEL ASSEMBLY Filed June 2'7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet} FIG. 2.

L/OH/V C EE/A /SE P 1941- J. c. BEIRISE 2,257,099 PILOT'S SHOULDER SAFETY BELT TAKE UP REEL ASSEMBLY I Filed June 27, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v TOR/VEKY L/OHN C Patented Sept. 30, 194i OFFICE.

PILOTS SHOULDER SAFETY BELT TAKE=UP REEL ASSEMBLY John C. Beirise, Dayton, Ohio Application June 27, 1940,"Serial N0.-342,748 2 Claims. I (01. 2427- 07) (Granted under the act of March "3, 1883 as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G.-'757) The invention described herein my be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of anyroyalty thereon.

The present invention relates to a reel, and has particular reference to a spring-operated takeup reel for use in connection with. a safety belt, or harness, in an airplane or the like.

In performing the many functions attending the operation of an airplane or the like, it'is often desirable to obtain momentarily an increased freedom of bodily movement beyond that allowed by the safety belt. This is particularly true where body movement is greatly restricted by a shoulder belt which prevents the wearer from leaning forward. In such cases it is desired to obtain this increased freedom without uncoupling the safety belt release, and it isfurther desired that the original condition and tension of thebelt may be restored instantly :as soon as the temporary looseness is no longer desired, The object in general, therefore, of the invention is to provide an improved adjustable securing means for a safety belt, which will provide slack when needed without disengaging the belt, and which will quickly take up the slack and lock thebelt at the desired tension for normal use.

A further object is to provide an improved securing means of the type described,-which will function with speed and certainty without carefulattention on the part. of the user. a 1 H A particular object is to provide a novel springoperated take-up reel having locking means conveniently manipulable for temporary manual release;

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown only a preferredvembodiment of the invention: I

Figure lis a side elevation view of a chair in an airplane or the like, having the reel of the present invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary front elevation view corresponding to the lower part of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the reel with certain parts broken away;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the drum and cable; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manner of attachment of the cable to the drum.

In Figures 1 and 2, the reel, indicated generally by the numeral I, is illustrated as attached to the under side of a chair 2, shown in broken lines. Chair .Zcarries-meansof attachment 3 and -4'for the safety belt, either means 3 or means 4, orbothwbeing capable-of use'with .diiferent types of belt. In the-present instance only a fragmentary portion 5 of a safety belt isillustrated, the lower end of which may be attached directly to'the attaching means 3 or to alap'belt secured to the attaching means .4.

The reel l is mounted within ahousing H] of generally cylindrical shape and having a bracket H thercon'for attachment to a chair or other support. The housing .10 is closed at its ends bythe end plates l2 and I3, respectively, which carry a central shaft, or spindle, I 4. The end plate is shown in Figure 3 as being formed integrally with the housing Ill, but if desired this end plate maybe formed separately and attached to the housing asis done in the case of the. end plate I2. Shaft I4 is secured atits ends to the end plates I2 and I3 by means of pins or the like [5. Theother end of the shaft [4 is bifurcated and contains a pin 16 therein-for purposes presently to be described. In thepresent instance the shaft Mhas an end portion I] of lesserdiameter than the main bearingportion l8 which extends throughthexend plate l3. Rotatively mounted uponthe shaft I4 is the drum 20, having one end recessed as shown at 21 to house a spring 22. The spring 22 has its inner end secured to the slender portion ll of the shaft l4 and its outer end-secured to the inner wall of the recess 2|. Inthepresent embodiment, the recess 2| extends substantially halfthe length of the drum20, the spring 22 being of a width substantially, equal to thedepth of this recess; The length of the slender portion I! of the shaft, inwardly. of the'endplate l2, also corresponds ap-' proximately to the depth of the recesstZ-l. The otherrend of the drum20 is externally recessed to; provide a cable-winding portion 23 of slightly reduced diameter, so as to leave flanges or shoulders 24 and 25 to guide the cable. The housing It) is provided with an opening 26 which may be designed as a further guide means for the cable.

A plurality of holes 30 and 3| are drilled in the end of the drum 20 and extend within the cable-winding portion 23 in the manner illustrated. The holes 30 are drilled uniformly to the depth shown in Figure 3, thereby reducing the weight of the device, and are, in the present em bodiment, seven in number. The hole 3| is similar to the holes 30, except that it extends almost into the recess 2|, so as to underlie the entire length of the cable-winding portion 23. An opening 32, drilled through the cylindrical suri face of the cable-winding portion 23, communicates with the inner end of the hole 3l, so that an end of a cable 33 may be passed through'the opening 32 and intothe hole 3!, where it may 3 be frayed out and secured by solder or the like i 34.

r The other end of the cable 33 is provided with an eye splice .34. The solder or other securing means in the hole 3| is confined tothe 1 inner end of the hole so that the remainingef-' i fective depth will be substantially the same as the depth of the holes 30.

Mounted in the end plate I3 is a detent pin40 v,

ably carried by the pin IE on the shaft l4. Di-

3 rectly beneath the lever 42 the end plate 13 is provided with an integral housing orwell 43 containing a spring 44 to urge the lever 42 into a 1 position which will force the detent pin 40 into one of the holes 30 or 3|. The outer end of the lhousing which forms the well 43 may be -bifur- 1 cated, as at 45,-in the-same manner as the end 1 of the shaft l4, so as toaccommodate and guide 3 the movement of the lever 42; A suitable bear- 1 ing'piecetransmits the thrust of the spring 44 to the'lever 42. A push rod 46 having a manipto support the push rod 46.

In assembling the device, the portion 23 or the drum is wound full of cable, and the drum is then 1 placed under slight tension by the spring 22 and locked in position by the pin 40. The reel may i then be attached to a chair in the manner shown in'Figure 1 and the eye splice 34 fastened to the against the tension of the spring 22. As'long as the button 41 "is depressed, the reel is free to rotate in either direction, and the tension of the spring 22 will maintain-cable 33 and strap 5 taut. When the desired slack has been obtained, the button 41 may be released to lock the drum in its new position. The slack obtained in this manner will be availableuntil the'button 41 is again depressed, whereupon the spring 22 will cause the drum to reel in all the loose cable and draw up the strap 5 snugly against the wearer. When the desired snugness of the strap is obtained, the button 41 may be released to anchor the belt in position. 7

Thus the reel of the present invention provides a means capable of convenient manipulation,

both for adjusting the safety belt to the size of the wearer and also for obtaining an'increased range of movement when it is necessary to lean forward. Once the body of the user has pulled out the necessary slack, he has freedom of movement within the range of such slack, unimpeded by the tension of the reel spring. If a sudden energy should demand thatthe safety belt be immediately returned to its original snugness, a

mere touch upon the button 41 will cause the belt to be drawn up and locked without further at- Y tention on the part of the wearer. 7

Changes in the construction and arrangement of parts may be made which do not depart fromwith said shaft, a cable on said drum and having one end anchored in one of said holes, a recess in the other end of said drum, a spring in saidrecess for winding said cable on said drum,a detent plunger carried by said housing and engageable with said holes to locksaid drum against rota tion, a lever connected with said plunger and pivotally mounted on said end of said shaft,'a spring in said housing acting'on said lever to urge said plunger into locking engagement with saiddrum, and means for moving said-lever against the action 'of said spring to withdraw said plunger to permit rotation of said drum.

' 2. In a reel, a housing, a shaft carriedby said housing, 'a drum revolvably mounted on said shaft and within said housing,said drum having a'plurality of holes in one end thereof arranged on "a circle concentric with said shaft; a detent plunger carried by said housing and movable into said holes to lock said drum against rotation, a lever connected with said plunger and pivotally mounted on an end of said shaft, a spring mounted in said housing and acting on saidlever to move said plunger into one of said holes, and means to move said lever against the action 'of said spring to withdraw said plunger to permit rotation of said drum.

JOHN c. BEIRIsE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTI on; Patent No. 2,257,099. September 50, 19LL1 JOHN C. BEIRI SE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 7., second column, line 15, for the word "energy" read .emergency.; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of November, A. D. l9lil.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Comissioner of Patents. 

